The Belarusian Orthodox Church has launched a new pro-life and pro-traditional family initiative for the youth in Belarus. The Youth of Belarus for Life, Morality, and Family Values contest is “aimed at establishing a healthy, socially significant, active position of the youth of the Republic of Belarus in relation to life and family as the main alternative to negative phenomena in society,” reports Sobor.by.

The contest includes four categories:

1. Youth for Family Values for the Sake of Life!— Youth projects aimed at creating and strengthening the institution of the family; supporting moral values and improving the image of families raising three or more children; preventing social orphanhood; the development of effective mechanisms for preserving traditions in the modern family, forming patriotic feelings, and transferring the experience of the older generation.

2. Youth for Health for the Sake of Life!— Youth projects aimed at introducing effective social technologies for working with young people to involve them in constructive forms of leisure, promoting and popularizing sports and healthy lifestyles related to family values; involvement of young people in the protection of human life (pro-life movement), raising the issue of abortion; disclosure and promotion through project activities of the concept of chastity as the integrity and beauty of the soul and body.

3. Youth for a Creative Breakthrough for the Sake of Life!— Projects that represent the activities of youth media, creative platforms (poetry, music, theater productions, works of art), aimed at promoting spiritual, moral and family values among young people.

4. Youth for Charity for the Sake of Life!—Projects that represent effective volunteer practices of youth associations, aimed at person to person interaction as an example of the manifestation of charity, kindness, and love; putting assistance to veterans, people with disabilities, and families in need into general practice.

Each group will present its strategic project planning for the year and its experience in organizing the projects. The next stage is the implementation of projects in which participants regularly provide monthly information about the events held within the framework of the project. Upon conclusion of the project in May 2022, winners in each category will be awarded during the Slavic Congress of Families in Minsk.

The contest was organized by the Belarusian Church together with the Holy Protection Charitable Foundation for Support of Family, Motherhood, and Childhood, the Belarusian Ministry of Education, and the Belarusian Union of Women public association.

The contest is open to students, teaching staff, representatives of public organizations, associations, and social institutions, and all youth of Belarus. Each group entering the contest must include at least three members between 14 and 31 years of age. (Quelle: www.orthochristian.com, 19. Februar 2021)